Special Operations (Badge of Honor 2)

As they drove down Delaware Avenue Officer Charley McFadden pushed himself off the backseat of Staff Inspector Peter Wohl’s car and rested his elbows on the backrest of the front seat.

“I never been in an Inspector’s car before,” he said, happily. “Nice.”

“It certainly doesn’t look like a police car, does it?” Matt Payne, who was driving, said.

McFadden looked at him curiously.

“It’s not supposed to,” Jesus Martinez said, and then put into words what was in his mind. “Where’d you come from, if you don’t mind my asking?”

“The Academy,” Matt said.

“You was teaching at the Academy?”

“I was going through the Academy,” Matt said. “I was on the range yesterday when Chief Matdorf came out and told me to report to Highway in plainclothes this morning.”

“I’ll be goddamned,” Charley McFadden said, and then added, “we was in Narcotics. Hay-zus and me. We were partners, working undercover.”

“For the last week, we were over in the Twelfth District, catching guys robbing stuff from parked cars,” Jesus said. “I wonder what the hell this is all about?”

Both Matt Payne and Charley McFadden shrugged their shoulders.

“We’re gonna find out, I guess.”

“Where we’re going is to that area behind the fence on the way to the Academy, right?” Matt asked.

“Yeah,” Martinez said.

“I sure like your wheels,” Charley said. “Porsche, huh?”

“Nine Eleven T,” Matt said.

“What did something like that set you back?” Charley asked.

“Christ, Charley!” Martinez said. “You don’t go around asking people how much things cost.”

“I was just curious, Hay-zus, is all,” Charley said. “No offense.”

“I don’t know what it cost,” Matt said. “It was a present. When I graduated from college.”

“Nice present!” Charley said.

“I thought so,” Matt said. “What do you call him? Hay-zus?”

“That’s his name,” Charley said. “It’s spick for Jesus.”

“Spanish, you fucking Mick,” Jesus Martinez said.

“I didn’t get your name,” Charley said, ignoring him.

“Matt Payne,” Matt said.

Charley put his hand down over Matt’s shoulder.

“Nice to meet you,” Charley said as Matt shook it.

“Me, too,” Jesus said, offering his hand.

They were able to draw two cars—both new Plymouths, one blue, and the other a dark maroon—from the Police Motor Pool without trouble, but when they got to the Police Radio Shop in the 800 block of South Delaware Avenue, things did not go at all smoothly.